Packaging



-Nov.v14,1`96-7 B|SHof= ETAL 3,352,086

PACKAGING I Filed Aug. 20, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENT OR HANS B/SHOF KARL GOTTL /EB HERSPERGER ATTORNEYS N0v.'14,1967 H B.SHOF ETAL. 3,352,086

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INVENT OR HANS BISC HOF KA Rl. G07' TL IEB HERSPERGER ATTORNEYS Nov. 14, 1967 Filed Aug. 2o, 1964 H. B|scHoF ET AL PACKAGING F ig. 6

4 Sheets-Sheet 5` HANS B/SCHOF KARL GOTTL/EB HERSPERGER BY M9/gaa@ ATTORNEYS Nov. 14, 1967- Filed Aug. 20, 1964 H. BISCHOF ET AL PACKAGING 4 Sheets-Sheet i;

lll/l /l l v INVENT OR HANS B/SCHOF KARL GOTTL/EB HERSPERGf/P BY I FM ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oiiice 3,352,086 Patented Nov. 14, 1967 3,352,086 PACKAGING Hans Bischof, Bollwerkstrasse 10, Binnngen, and Karl Gottlieb Hersperger, Pilgerstrasse 28, Basel, Switzerland Filed Aug. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 390,873 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Aug. 22, 1963, 10,380/63 2 Claims. (Cl. 53-39) This invention relates to ya process for packaging articles which are susceptible to impact and pressure and which are at least of about the same length, to a machine for carrying out this process, and to a package prepared by the process.

Unlilled metal tu-bes which lare to be transported from the manufacturer to the ller have hitherto usually been placed vertically in containers (boxes or cases) with their screw closures turned downwa-rdly, the containers being provided with various types of insertions, for example in the form of criss-cross partitions of cardboard or other material (see FIGURE 1 of the accompanying drawings).

The disadvantages of this conventional type of packaging are as follows:

(1) It is necessary to use different insertions (crisscross partitions) depending on the type or size, particularly the diameter, of the tubes to be packaged.

(2) This prior art type of packaging therefore requires the provision of containers having insertions for all handled or manufactured sizes and diameters of tubes, and this involves considerable expenditure. Often the insertions required are not available when wanted or surplus unwanted insertions are available.

(3) Space must be kept available for storage of the dierent sizes of empty packages.

(4) Individual packages (containers and insertions) are so expensive that, particularly in the oase of tubes, they must be reused frequently. This involves, for each despatch, a return of the empty containers and special storage space for the recipient until the empty containers are returned.

(5) This involves additional transportation costs, and the provision of a container control is necessary for supervision of the methodical return of the empty containers.

(6) Finally the conventional type of packaging is unhygienic. The repeated use leads to the formation of dust and other soiling and this makes cleaning necessary with the expense thus involved.

All these disadvantages are obviated by the present invention.

The process according to this invention comprises locating the articles to be packaged side by side corresponding to the space in the packaging container, covering their upper ends with a foil of thermoplastic material which retains its shape at room tempera-ture, then heating the foil and pressing it in the heated condition by means of pressure acting on the upper side of the foil into gripping engagement with the ends of the articles while bulging the foil into gaps at the said end of the articles so that, after the foil has cooled, the said ends are iixed in their mutual positions.

The invention also includes a machine for carrying out the said process, and also a package of articles when prepared by the said process.

' The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the prior art packaging box for empty tubes already described;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of xa box containing empty metal tubes located in side-by-side position with their screw cap -closures turned downwardly;

FIGURE 3 is the same as FIGURE 2 except that a plastics foil closes the box;

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate diagrammatically in section a iirst embodiment of a machine for carrying out the process in two different positions of the parts of the machine; and

FIGURES 6 and 7 show in a similar way a second embodiment of machine for carrying out the process.

To car-ry out the packaging method in questi-on, the following procedure is followed in principle, assuming that empty (i.e. unfilled) metal tubes are to be packed into boxes.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the tubes a are placed in a box b side by side with their screw cap closures turned downwardly. The tubes thus stand with their top ends on the bot-tom of the box b and with their open rear ends, through which the contents (for example toothpaste) have still to be filled by the manufacturer of the contents, at the top. A covering foil of thermoplastic material, for example of polystyrene or polyvinyl chloride, having a thickness for example of 0.01 to 0.04 mm., is laid on the upturned open ends of the tubes. This foil is then heated and exposed in the heated condition to the action of gas pressure. How these two steps of the process may best be carried out will be explained later in greater detail. The consequence of the action of the pressure is that the heated foil, at all places where gaps, i.e. gaps between the open ends of the tubes and also the open ends themselves, are beneath the same is bulged out and penetrates these gaps so that the foil enters into gripping connection with the wall of -t-he open tube ends and, after the foil has cooled, xes them in their relative positions. It is advantageous for the covering foil to Ibe large enough to enable it to be turned over the upper edge of the box b at the same time while in the heated c-ondition, as shown in FIGURE V3, so that a dustproof closure of the box is ensured. To empty the box b, the foil is grasped at one corner and detached and removed from the edge of the box and from the ends of the tubes by an unrolling movement carried out across the top of the box.

If desired, the tubes may be placed in the packaging box with their screw cap closures at the top. 'I'he covering foil is then brought into gripping engagement with the screw caps by bulging out the foil in the abovementioned way at the appropriate places.

It should be noted that in a manner similar to that described above, articles other .than tubes Which have equal or approximately equal length, may be packaged if the -articles are to be fixed at least `at their upwardly directed ends in their mutual packaging positions by reason of their susceptibility to impact and pressure. If i-t is desired to iix the articles at two opposite ends (top and bottom) in their relative positions, they are placed at the start side by side, not in the packaging box, but in an auxiliary frame having an equivalent capacity which is then turned over when the foil has been applied to one end. The articles iixed at one end are then taken out from the auxiliary frame and placed Ias a packaging unit in the despatch box.

FIGURES 4 and 5 show diagrammatically the fundamental construction of -a machine with which the packaging process described above may be carried out. This machine is composed of the following main parts:

A supporting base d for the reception of a packaging box b to be closed and which is movable in vertical direction so that it can be raised or lowered;

A clamping frame composed of a lower frame portion e1 .and an upper frame portion e2 in which a covering foil is laid and held by clamping at the peripheral edge;

A heating hood g provided with an electric-al heating element (not shown) and capable of displacement in a horizontal direction; and

A compressed air chamber h, open at the bottom, which is connected to a source of compressed air and has a manometer h1 to indicate the pressure prevailing therein.

The compressed air chamber may be moved in the vertical direction (by means not shown) so that .after the heating hood g has been removed the compressed air chamber may be lowered to effect close engagement of the lower edge of the opening in corresponding peripheral grooves in the upper frame portion e2.

The packaging process described above may be carried out as follows on the machine according to FIG- URES 4 and 5 of which only the main portions are shown and moreover shown unconnected to each other.

The box b with the empty tubes a therein as shown in FIGURE 2 is placed on the supporting base d. A foil of thermoplastic material f is clamped by its edge between the two frame portions e1 and e2 and the foil thus clamped is lead by means of the frame on the upturned end of the box. The heating hood g is then moved over the foil f and the latter heated until it softens. The heating hood g is then moved away and the compressed air chamber h is lowered until its lower edge engages airtight in the groove of the upper frame portion e2. In this position of the chamber h, compressed air is supplied thereto and in consequence the foil, in a heated and softened condition, bulges out wherever gaps occur beneath the same. These gaps are formed by the open ends of the tubes themslves and also by the interstices between the adjacent tube ends. The foil is thus allowed to enter into gripping connection with the wall of .the open tube ends and after the foil has cooled it iixes these tube ends in their relative packaging positions.

The final mechanic-a1 operation, while the foil f is still hot, is to impart ya short lift to the supporting base d in order to lift the upper edge of the box b into the opening in the frame e1, e2. The edge of the foil f is thus turned over the edge of the box b, so that a tight closure of the box with the metal tubes situated therein and secured in their packaging positions is ensured.

The machine according to FIGURES 4 and 5 may be adapted for manual operation or, by appropriate provision, for automatic operation.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of a machine for carrying out the process.

This machine has as essential parts a supporting base d movable in vertical direction for the packaging box b with the tubes a to be closed, a clamping frame consisting of a lower frame portion e3 and an upper frame portion e4 for reception and clamping of a foil f, a compressed air chamber h2 open at the bottom which has a removable cover h3 and is fed from a compressed air source h1, and a heating hood g1 above the compressed air chamber h2.

' The embodiment according to FIGURES 6 and 7, contrasted with the embodiment according to FIGURES 4 and 5, has a separating means e6. As in the first embodiment, the various parts in FIGURES 6 and 7 are also capable of up and down movement.

In the machine laccording to FIGURES 6 and 7, the process proceeds in the following way:

The box b with the tubes ai arranged therein is placed on the supporting base d (see FIGURE 6). A foil f of thermoplastic material is placed between the two frame portions e3 and e4 with its edge clamped therebetween and the clamped foil is applied to the upturned box end by means of the frame while lifting the supporting base with the box. The compressed air chamber h2 and the heating hood g1 are lowered until the compressed air chamber is about over the foil. With the cover h3 opened, the foil is Ithen heated up by the heating hood g1 through the compressed air chamber h2. After the foil has become soft, the cover h3 of the compressed air chamber is closed and the compressed air chamber is lowered to the position shown in FIGURE 7, so that the foil is turned over the edge of the box and clamped rmly between the compressed air chamber and the edge e5 of the frame portion e3.

The surplus edge of the foil outside the clamping between the compressed air chamber and the edge e5 of the frame portion is parted by the lowered separating means e6- The lowered compressed air chamber, closed at the top, has compressed air supplied to it from the compressed air source h1 and the heated foil is forced by the compressed air into the gaps between the tubes and into the open tube ends. y

As Compared with the machine of FIGURES 4 and 5, the importance of the machine according to FIGURES 6 and 7 is mainly that the latter permits more rapid operation than the former. This is due to the fact that the heating hood does not have to be moved away as in the machine according to FIGURES 4 and 5. Closing of the cover h3 can be effected more rapidly than moving the heating hood away, and after the cover h3 has been opened, the heating hood, which in the meanwhile can store its heat, is immediately ready to heat up the foil for the next packaging step.

In the machine according to FIGURES 6 and 7, the compressed air effects a rapid cooling of the hot foil, the compressed air chamber being lifted somewhat from the edge e5 after the foil has been appropriately bulged, so that compressed air can escape from the compressed air chamber through the annular opening formed.

We claim:

1. A process for packaging articles susceptible to impact and pressure having at least approximately the same length, as for example empty metal tubes, in a container which comprises placing the articles to be packaged vertically side by side according to the capacity of the container, covering the upper end of the articles with a foil of thermoplastic material which retains its shape at room temperature, heating the foil and while it is in the heated Icondition forcing it by pressure acting on the upper surface thereof into gripping contact with the said ends of the articles while bulging the foil into gaps in or between the articles located beneath the foil, so that after the foil has cooled the ends of the articles are fixed in their relative positions, said covering foil, while still in the heated condition, being turned over the edge of the packaging container to p-rovide a dustproof closure for the container.

2. A machine for packaging articles susceptible to impact and pressure comprising the following components:

a ysupporting base, movable in vertical direction, upon which may be placed a packaging container or auxiliary frame containing the articles;

a bipartile clamping frame for clamping a foil yof thermoplastic material;

a heating hood, and

a Icompressed air chamber capable of movement in a vertical direction, said chamber being open at the bottom and connected to a source of compressed air,

said compressed air chamber being arranged between said heating hood and said clamping frame and having a cover which is capable of being removed so that the foil held by said clamping frame can be heated up by the heating hood through the 5 opened compressed air chamber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,980,022 11/1934 Whitehouse 53-3 X 6 2,892,294 6/ 1959 LaBranche 53-112 2,984,056 5/ 1961 Scholl 53-22 FOREIGN PATENTS 332,684 10/1958 Switzerland.

TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PROCESS FOR PACKING ARTICLES SUSCEPTIBLE TO IMPACT AND PRESSURE HAVING AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY THE SAME LENGTH, AS FOR EXAMPLE EMPTY METAL TUBES, IN A CONTAINER WHICH COMPRISES PLACING THE ARTICLES TO BE PACKAGED VERTICALLY SIDE BY SIDE ACCORDING TO THE CAPACITY OF THE CONTAINER, COVERING THE UPPER END OF THE ARTICLES WITH A FOIL OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL WHICH RETAINS ITS SHAPE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, HEATING THE FOIL AND WHILE IT IS IN THE HEATED CONDITION FORCING IT BY PRESSURE ACTING ON THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF INTO GRIPPING CONTACT WITH THE SAID ENDS OF THE ARTICLES WHILE BULGING THE FOIL INTO GAPS IN OR BETWEEN THE ARTICLES LOCATED BENEATH THE FOIL, SO THAT AFTER THE FOIL HAS COOLED THE ENDS OF THE ARTICLES ARE FIXED IN THEIR RELATIVE POSITIONS, SAID COVERING FOIL, WHILE STILL IN THE HEATED CONDITION, BEING TURNED OVER THE EDGE OF THE PACKAGING CONTAINER TO PROVIDE A DUSTPROOF CLOSURE FOR THE CONTAINER. 